Officer Relieved of Duty Following APG Super Pond Drowning

The commanding officer of two Navy divers who drowned at Aberdeen Proving Ground in February has been relieved of his duties, the Navy announced Wednesday.

Cmdr. Michael Runkle of the Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2, based in Virginia Beach, VA, "was relieved due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command," a Navy release states. Capt. Dan Shultz, the unit's former commanding officer, will assume command until a permanent officer is named.

Runkle is not one of two "senior leaders" the Navy plans to weigh charges against in a hearing on May 21.

Navy Diver 1st Class James Reyher of Caldwell, OH, and Navy Diver 2nd Class Ryan Harris of Gladstone, MO drowned in the Super Pond testing facility at the proving ground, the second and third such deaths this year. The facility was indefinitely closed following the February incident.

Navy officials first learned of command issues in Runkle's unit in January, and ordered a command climate survey, which found issues with morale and leadership involvement, according to the release. An investigation following the drowning deaths "brought to light continued command climate weaknesses," the release states, along with safety concerns that led officials to take action against Runkle.

Citing the pending charges against the two leaders and a Naval Criminal Investigative Services investigation, a Navy spokesman told The Virginian-Pilot he could not release specifics on what their investigation found or the safety concerns.